8 DAY CLASSIC RWANDA

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$5600 USD

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Safari summary

This itinerary takes in the best of Rwanda including: gorillas at Volcanoes National Park, Nyungwe Forest National Park, probably the best preserved rainforest in Central Africa and Lake Kivu where you can kick back and relax. Your own personal driver guide will transfer you to all of the destinations. The following sample itinerary is simply a sample of how you may like to spend your time. We can easily re-arrange the routing and change the accommodations to suit your individual requirements.

About this tour

	Tour type	Custom, tailor-made, private
	Main focus	Primate trekking
	Activity level	Moderate activity
	Best months	January, February, June, July, August, November, December
	Countries	Rwanda
	Parks	Nyungwe Forest Volcanoes

Itinerary

Day 2

Nyungwe Forest

Day 2 & 3: This morning you will be collected by your driver guide and driven south to Nyanza, the historical seat of the Rwanda kingdom. Here you will visit the Royal Palace which has been resorted, entirely of traditional materials, to its 19th century grandeur. You may also choose to stop at the University town of Butare to visit the National Museum which houses perhaps the greatest ethnographic collection in East and Central Africa. It provides a close up look at Rwandan Cultural heritage. After a stop for lunch you will proceed onwards to Nyungwe Forest National Park arriving at your lodge in time for dinner and overnight. The following morning you will be transferred to the park’s headquarters for a half day forest trek in search of the Angola Colobus monkeys which can be found here in troops of several hundred. In addition to this there are plenty of other primate species to marvel at as well as the numerous bird and planet species for which the park is famous. After lunch you will tour a nearby tea plantation. 2 nights at Nyungwe Forest Lodge Mahlatini recommends the following accommodation: Nyungwe Forest Lodge in a standard room (Full Board) - See more accommodation options in Nyungwe Forest Lodge

Day 4

Day 4: After breakfast you will drive to Kibuye on the shores of Lake Kivu with stops at the local markets along the way. Following lunch at Cormoran Lodge you will continue onwards to the town of Gisenyi on the northern end of the lake arriving at your hotel in the evening. Spend the evening in awe at the red glow atop the Nyiragongo volcano across the border in the DRC. It is still active! Overnight at Lake Kivu Mahlatini recommends the following accommodation: Lake Kivu Serena Hotelin a standard room (Bed & Breakfast) - See more accommodation options at Lake Kivu

Day 5

Virunga | Volcanoes

Day 5 & 6: This morning will be spent at leisure at Lake Kivu. You can either lie on the beach and relax or enjoy the hotel’s facilities including a gym, swimming pool and tennis courts. If you are feeling energetic you can head to the Water Sports Centre and partake in a few water sports activities on the lake including windsurfing, adventure-cat and kayaking. You also have the option of hiring a boat and visiting the local fishing islands. The afternoon will be spent on a leisurely drive through the Rwandan countryside to Ruhengeri the foothills of the Virungas. You will arrive at your lodge in the late afternoon. Early the following morning you will be collected and taken to the national park, where you will be allocated a gorilla tracking group. After a briefing by your trackers you will depart on your gorilla tracking adventure. Upon sighting the gorillas you will have a magical hour in their company and observe as they go about their daily life, feeding, playing, resting and raising their young. In the afternoon you will tour to an ex poacher’s village and see how tourism and conversation are winning the battle to ensure the gorillas’ survival. 2 nights at Lake Kivu / Volcanoes National Park Mahlatini recommends the following accommodation: Gorilla Mountain View Lodgein a standard room (Full Board) - See more accommodation options in Volcanoes National Park

Day 7

Volcanoes

Day 7: Today you will have the option of joining your guide on a tour of the local Ruhengeri and Kinigi area including the local market. For an extra charge you can also opt to track the Golden Monkeys or depart on a second gorilla tracking experience. Tracking the Golden Monkeys usually takes from 2 to 4 hours. Once you come to the habituated families you will spend one hour with them as they go about their daily life; adult monkeys frolic in plain view, feeding on bamboo leaves and leaping from perch to perch while females carry their young, completely oblivious of on-lookers. Following lunch you will drive back to Kigali and check in at your hotel. In the evening a final farewell dinner will be hosted at one of the local restaurants. Overnight stay at Volcanoes National Park / Kigali Mahlatini recommends the following accommodation: Serena Hotel in a standard room (Bed & Breakfast) - See more accommodation options in kigali